The SEC Doctoral Student Network’s PhD gathering on August 26th at Quality Hotel 11 in Gothenburg turned out to be a great success. Organized alongside the Roads to the Future and E-Mobility Day conferences, the event offered PhD students a unique opportunity to combine inspiration from three days of activities with a focused session on research communication.
The afternoon began with a warm welcome from Linda Olofsson, Director of the Program, together with Taline Sandberg Jadaan, Coordinator of the Doctoral Student Network. They set the stage for an engaging session and encouraged participants to make the most of the opportunity to learn and connect.
The program was dedicated to the art of presenting research effectively. We were delighted to welcome communications coach and presentation expert Anders Sahlman, who shared his extensive experience of helping researchers and professionals convey their work with clarity and impact. His keynote provided valuable insights into what makes presentations engaging and memorable, while the interactive workshop allowed participants to apply the theory in practice.
Participants highlighted how valuable the training felt. “It’s like a lifelong process – you keep improving,” said Mudit Chordia, PhD student at Chalmers University of Technology, who noted that the timing was perfect as he prepares to defend his thesis. He added, “I can only imagine how much better my 35th presentation would have been if I had done this training earlier.”
Fatemeh Hashemniya, PhD student at Linköping University, described how her view shifted during the day: “At first I thought it would be like all the other ones I’ve seen – but after fika it just got better and better. The masterclass part was the best – we really got engaged and could use the tips in action.”
The day concluded with a joint dinner at Quality Hotel 11, creating an opportunity for continued conversations, new connections, and an exchange of ideas across various research fields.